WrestleMania 34 - Predictions & Preview

WrestleMania 34 - Predictions & Preview

WrestleMania 34 - Predictions & Preview

I said it on our Facebook page this week and I’ll say it again … THIS…CARD…IS…STACKED!

WWE has had an influx of amazing in-ring talent over the last few years and it seems that it has come to a head this year. Several major names are making their WrestleMania debut this year such as Bobby Roode, Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura along with WrestleMania mainstays like Triple H, Brock Lesnar and a returning Kurt Angle.

We will be taking a look at the card match by match. What you WON’T be seeing is a preview of whatever will be happening with John Cena and The Undertaker. It has been a while since something that wasn’t a planned match or even a planned segment has created this much buzz.

I don’t think it will end up being an official match. I thnk that Cena will come to the ring and do a quick “I’m here as a fan” promo and that’s when Kid Rock will hit the stage to play American Bad Ass and WWE’s American Bad Ass will make his return. Whether it ends up being Cena just saying he did this so Taker could have another WrestleMania moment or Taker just beats Cena down, we will see The Undertaker coming out on top again at WrestleMania…stop me if you’ve heard that before. Whatever they end up doing, it is sure to be a “WrestleMania Moment.”

We are in line for several potential moments and a few Top 10 WrestleMania Matches of All Time candidates.

Might as well start off with what has turned out to be the most controversial match in pre-show history! The match was originally announced as the “Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal” until former wrestlers came out stating that Moolah was just the worst person ever…and we all know how reliable of a source wrestlers who don’t make it in the industry are on the internet. But after Snickers threatened to pull sponsorship after hearing of this, WWE changed the name. They also revealed the trophy…which also received negative feedback for, if you squint your eyes, looking like parts of the female anatomy… … … can we just get to the damn match!

There is something that does make me upset about this match, but it actually has something to do with the match itself. Bayley and Sasha Banks have been setting up a match for a while now and they deserved to have what would have been the first non-title one-on-one women’s match in WrestleMania history. Unfortunately WWE decided to just put them in the battle royal. I think it is safe to say that one of those two will win this one and since Banks seems more like an established star at this point, BAYLEY should come away with the win here.

ANDRE THE GIANT MEMORIAL BATTLE ROYAL

The ATGMBR returns to the place that saw its inception. At WrestleMania 30 we were all excited for this new concept would surely be a way to launch a new career.

…or not.

The battle royal winners haven’t exactly seen the best of careers since, at least not what you would think it would be. Mojo Rawley won it last year and the storyline that he was given after that was literally him complaining for not being on TV after winning. Hopefully at something point this match will be used as more than just a way to get everyone on the show, but it won’t be this year.

I have noticed in the last few weeks WWE has hammered home the fact that Baron Corbin wants to be the first 2-time winner of the battle royal. You could make a successful drinking game out of the amount of times they have thrown that out there. This leads me to believe that we will indeed see our first 2-time winner…but it won’t be Corbin, or Rawley for that matter. It will the surprise entrant and winner of the 2015 rendition – BIG SHOW.

CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Cedric Alexander vs Mustafa Ali

It may not have the name value that Neville vs Austin Aries had last year, but this could very well steal the show. Unfortunately for the cruiserweights, that means the pre-show.

Alexander and Ali have proven to be the two top stars currently on the 205Live roster. This will be a back and forth match with offense that will leave the crowd needing to catch their breath early in the evening. I can see MUSTAFA ALI getting his first championship win. This will lead, not necessarily on Sunday but soon, to a hell turn for Alexander that could propel him even further.

RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP

Alexa Bliss (c) vs Nia Jax

Simply put, this is long overdue for Nia. Though, if you think about it, if she had to wait to be in the spotlight, at least that spotlight is shining on WrestleMania. Not only that, but WWE has hit home with the bully angle on this one. So much so that at this point, it would be hard to see the bully win in the end. For those reasons and more, NIA JAX will be able to hold WWE gold over her head for the first time!

RAW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

The Bar vs Braun Strowman & A Mystery Partner

The biggest mystery component for WrestleMania is obviously the aforementioned Cena/Taker situation – but that’s not the only one! Strowman won the tag team battle royal to get the #1 Contender spot for the tag titles because he’s Bruan Strowman and he can do whatever he wants! That has left us with the question of who would partner with the Monster Among Men.

I am going to go out on a limb and say that Brains Strowman won’t be the partner Sunday. So who will it be – Rey Mysterio? No. Chris Jericho? No. The Undertaker in what would be one of the biggest swerves in WrestleMania? No. I can see a bit of a reunion here and Bray Wyatt being the one tagging with Strowman. The interesting part of this is that Wyatt was thrown in the “Lake of Reincarnation” at The Ultimate Deletion so what will reincarnated Bray look like? Whatever it is, I can see BRAUN STROWMAN AND BRAY WYATT winning the tag straps here. If it is not Bray then whoever it is will take the pin and The Bar would retain.

UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP

Randy Orton (c) vs Rusev vs Jinder Mahal vs Bobby Roode

What are the odds that WrestleMania would happen to fall on Rusev Day this year??? More surprising is thinking that Rusev, one of the most over stars on the show right now, did not have a match until last week. Ah well, he’s there now.

This should be a good one, but I don’t think it will steal the show by any means. Looking at the competitors and the rest of the card I have to stop and think…the good guys can’t win them all! That being said, I can see JINDER MAHAL coming out on top.

INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Miz (c) vs Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor

THIS is a mid-card championship match that could steal the show! Balor and Rollins had an incredible match last Monday and throwing in The Miz, who has become one of the best performers on the show over the last 18 months, will create gold!

What worries me is that I haven’t heard any reference to The Demon. When I say the debut of Finn Balor’s Demon character in NXT back in 2014 my first thought was “I can’t wait to see this entrance at WrestleMania!” Injury deprived us of that last year and it seems like we will be missing out this year again…sad face. For the match, I can see THE MIZ sneaking one out and holding on to his title.

SMACKDOWN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

The Usos (c) vs The New Day vs The Bludgeon Brothers

2017 was the year of The Usos vs The New Day. The two had a tag team rivalry the likes of which we have not seen in years! Now we thrown in The Bludgeon Brothers who have had amazing matches with both teams as well. Before The Usos and New Day had a SummerSlam pre-show match that fans said should have been on the main show, Harper and Rowan were having Match of the Night candidates in pre-shows with The Usos.

The build for this has been that Harper and Rowan are just too dominant. I don’t think that makes sense for it to just stop on a dime Sunday so THE BLUDGEON BROTHERS will be your new SmackDown Tag Team Champions!

SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP

Charlotte Flair (c) vs Asuka

The greatest women’s match in WrestleMania history…what more needs to be said?

These are by far the two best women’s performers on the roster right now. You don’t need anything else then just their names to build this match. We have however seen Carmella attempt to cash in Money in the Bank a few times recently which made me think – what if Carmella actually cashes in during this match, she quickly gets taken out and pinned, then Charlotte and Asuka just say let’s finish what we started. Just a thought.

Everyone is saying that there is no way that Asuka loses and the streak will continue. Well folks…this is New Orleans…this is The SuperDome …this is where streaks come to die! In what will be one of the biggest shocks of the night CHARLOTTE FLAIR will end Auska’s streak and retain her title.

Daniel Bryan & Shane McMahon vs Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn

He’s back!

And from what we saw when he got into it with Owens and Zayn, Daniel Bryan hasn’t missed a beat!

It’s been almost three years since the leader of the Yes Movement was forced to retire at the peak of this popularity. The WWE Universe has been hoping that someday he would be cleared again and that day has finally come! And it comes in the middle of arguably the best story that WWE has had recently!

The program with these four dates back to last fall and has seen several twists and turns. One last twist will be that KEVIN OWENS AND SAMI ZAYN will ruin Bryan’s return, win the match and be rehired to SmackDown.

Kurt Angle & Ronda Rousey vs Triple H & Stephanie McMahon

It is probably the most talked about match on the card with the in-ring debut of former UFC Superstar Ronda Rousey making her WWE in-ring debut. But the build for it on Raw has seemed kind of…well…blah.

We know that this won’t be a five-star match and is just an attraction match. But still, for how much hype this should be generating, I’m just not feeling it. I don’t think there is any other way for this match to end other than Rousey making Stephanie McMahon to tap out. But you never know I guess. No…no we do…KURT ANGLE AND RONDA ROUSEY win this one.

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP

AJ Styles (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura

It has been a while since I have been THIS excited for a match at WrestleMania! I am hoping beyond hope that Vince steps and says “I’ll focus my time on Brock/Roman, you handle this one Paul.” If that happens, we could have the greatest match in WrestleMania history!

The fact that I caught Todd Phillips throw out the line “From the Tokyo Dome to the SuperDome” tells me that WWE understands what the WWE Universe is expecting with this match which is a VERY good sign! As was mentioned there, the two main evented Wrestle Kingdom 10 for New Japan Pro Wrestling in the Tokyo Dome in 2016 before jumping to WWE. They put on a match that is still being talked about today as one of the best ever.

Add in the grandeur of WrestleMania and the fact that there is no clear cut winner for this one and we have the proverbial perfect storm on our hands. That being said, I see SHINSUKE NAKAMURA coming out on top and becoming the first Japanese WWE Champion. (all due respect to Yokozuna)

UNIVERSAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns

Vince’s Boy vs the one who Vince’s Boy said was Vince’s Boy…I think it’s pretty safe to say that this one is going on last.

I will say that the build for this match has been pretty good. Especially for the fact that WWE found a way to get some cheers for Roman that he usually wouldn’t get. It seems like Brock may be done and heading back to UFC after this one so let’s just get this out of the way, ROMAN REIGNS wins.

The twist will come with how he wins. This is how I said WrestleMania 31 would end when Reigns and Lesnar main evented – Heyman gets upset that Brock is leaving and helps Roman who becomes the new Paul Heyman Guy! WWE went a different direction for their shock value with Seth Rollins cashing in Money in the Bank in 2015…I think that worked better. So how about a new Paul Heyman guy this year? It could happen!

WITH WRESTLEMANIA JUST DAYS AWAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK WE WILL SEE? WHO WILL WIN THE SHINSUKE/AJ DREAM MATCH? WILL ASUKA’S STREAK CONTINUE? LIKE OUR PAGE ON FACEBOOK AND LET US KNOW!